Note: This has absolutely nothing to do
with The First Cut - it's a personal project that came about through
some chatting and plotting with lj user"amurderofcrows" .
To be perfectly honest, I'm doing it because I have an hour before
my next class and nothing to do. But there will be several sets,
promise!

lj-cut text"Zuko's Story"

1. Motion

Though it was often offered, Zuko
rarely drank - there was something about the way the world twisted
and tilted that he abhorred - and even though it was Mid-Autumn
festival and nearly the entire city of Ba Sing Sei was well on its
way to a happy hangover in the morning, the moon was high in the sky
before Iroh was able to introduce his nephew to the enticing
sweetness of Earth Kingdom wine.

2. Cool

He looks up and watches the stars dance
lazily in the sky; he looks down and watches fireflies alight from
their perches on blades of grass and go spinning in front of his
eyes; he stumbles into a pavilion and there are soft hands to catch
him, even if the body before him wobbles tellingly back to her seat
in much the way he does.

3. Young

He doesn't think about it much - she is
willing and, near as he can tell in the light and the haze in his
head, very lovely - and he doubts she does either: they don't even
exchange names before robes are being tugged and Zuko is introduced
to a world he should have known at fourteen, in a golden seraglio
instead of a wooden pavilion.

4. Last

He thinks he apologized, but she was
laughing too hard for either of them to tell - he is young and
inexperienced, neither of them are particularly sober, but he traps
her now-sticky hands to the floor and silences her giggles with lips
and tongue, determined to get a little sticky himself before the
night is over.

5. Wrong

He was drunker than he thought: in the
morning light it is obvious that her skin is not the dusky tan of the
Earth people, her hair too light to even be some sort of mix - and
when she rolls over and blinks at him, covered only by the green
robes he was wearing last night, her eyes dart to the blue leather
that lies across his lap and Zuko discovers how dark a blush can make
a Water Tribe girl's face.

6. Gentle

They are far too awkward and young for
this - she keeps trying to speak and coming up with nothing, he
doesn't want to speak at all, but when his uncle walks by shouting
his name, Zuko presses her down to the floor of the pavilion to hide
and stares into startled blue eyes when her whispering lips brush
his.

7. One

He doesn't know why she does it and is
hesitant to think on it-- still, when dark fingers curl around his
arms and her mouth is wet and body soft beneath his, a nagging voice
notes that the Avatar and his team rarely have the chance for
i true /i companionship, outside each other.

8. Thousand

Many thoughts race through his head -
i his uncle is calling, the Avatar will be looking for her, he
slept more soundly curled around her than he has since the Fire
Empress disappeared /i - but Zuko ignores them all, repaying
her in a sudden kiss, feeling her body relax against his, drinking in
the taste of a Waterbender, before pushing her away from him and
fleeing comfort and uncle both.

9. King

"You were out late last night,"
his uncle notes, and Zuko grunts in reply; "Blue looks good on
you," his uncle adds and Zuko startles at the leather thong
still tied to his wrist, blushing fiercely as Iroh laughs.

10. Learn

He's been serving tea long enough now
that Zuko doesn't need to spend too much time thinking on it - boil
the water, steep the leaves, serve the cups on saucers, and his mind
has plenty of time to wander back to vague memories of brown and
blue.

11. Blur

It happens entirely too fast: a
terrible roar that vibrates all the way from the upper level to their
tiny tea shop; a great, flying beast up high in the air; a whip of a
braid, dark against the clouds, and when on-lookers blame the tea pot
Zuko drops on astonishment, they are only half right.

12. Wait

Iroh knows him far too well - two days
after a broken tea pot is replaced, his nephew unfolds a story of
wine, Fire, and Water.

13. Change

They serve tea and business only
improves; more refugees pour in and they are the only ones to notice
the shift from Earth Kingdom peasants to Fire Nation soldiers.

14. Command

The first day a refugee drops his tea
cup to salute Iroh is their last day in Ba Sing Sei.

15. Hold

They travel; news of the Avatar becomes
more frequent; they hear of marching troops on both sides and Zuko
fingers blue leather in his pocket, thinking of the last night he
slept well and comforted.

16. Need

Zuko agrees - Yes, she i is /i
a nice girl, Uncle - but does nothing; he met a nice girl in Ba Sing
Sei who gave him his first kiss, but he misses the drunken
satisfaction of the girl who gave him his first-- other things.

17. Vision

In this new town they've taken
residence in, bonfires light up the river every night (some
month-long festival that worships some peasant god or another) - Zuko
watches from the roof occasionally, but the flames he sees shine
gold, alight before a lord's knot.

18. Attention

In some matters, Zuko was incredibly
observant - he could not don the mask of the Blue Spirit otherwise -
but he is not omniscient; still, weeks before news reaches them, he
wakes in the middle of the night, sweat-soaked and breathless, sure
he's felt the final breath of his nation's hundred year reign.

19. Soul

A little part of both Firebenders dies
when they receive the message: Iroh lost his desire to rule with the
death of his son, Zuko lost the desire to go home when gaining his
father's respect became impossible.

20. Picture

A Water Tribe scholar meets them as
soon as they step off the boat, and Zuko is surprised to be the only
one scowling - Sokka leads them through the city with Kyoshi warriors
and Fire Nation guards, talking avidly with Iroh while Zuko looks on
a home he barely remembers.

21. Fool

The question immediately puts the
peasant, the scholar,
on the defensive, and Zuko looks away even before Sokka answers, a
scowl and a growl of, "She isn't i here /i ."

22. Mad

"It was stupid - of course she
wouldn't stay with her precious i Avatar /i
gone."

23. Child

Sokka is startled but Zuko isn't when
Iroh's first action as Fire Lord is to hold a joint funeral for both
Ozai and the Avatar - one in honor of his younger brother, the other
in honor of a boy who died too young, too soon.

24. Now

Iroh stands in the Fire Lord's
chambers, chambers Zuko never saw lest his father was away - he gets
his first taste of pity from the giver's perspective, watching Iroh's
face as he looks over Ozai's sparse belongings.

25. Shadow

It is days before Zuko puts on the
crown offered to him - it has been years since he was a crown prince
of the Fire Nation, and never again will he be anything but the
'honorary' heir of the Fire Lord.

26. Goodbye

The Kyoshi warriors leave first; Sokka
lingers for a few days, making plans to meet Fire scholars at a later
date; Zuko overhears a conversation between peasant and Fire Lord,
Iroh questioning the conditions of the South; Sokka closes the
conversation with a single, quiet comment; "Better than ever -
we're being left alone."

27. Hide

Zuko stands on the balcony that
connects to his bedroom, tilting his face to the sun - after a
meeting that took up the entire morning on increasing the output of
lotus tiles to the surrounding nations, it is still a blessing to be
able to stand in full view of his people, not oceans away behind an
apron and a wall.

28. Fortune

They never say it outloud, but neither
uncle nor brother shed a tear at the funeral of Princess Azula - both
are too concerned with the method she was delivered, her body covered
head to toe in ice.

29. Safe

Not everyone is pleased - some say the
Dragon of the West has lost his spark by pulling troops back, by
abandoning a hundred-year-war to unite the world beneath the Fire
Nation's flag - Zuko watches his uncle stand before the window that
faces the city - fearless, or just beyond fear?

30. Ghost

Lu Ten's birthday comes and goes: Iroh
disappears for the day while Zuko stays in the palace, fingering a
crown he was never meant to wear.

31. Book

Iroh leaves mounds of papers on his
writing desk - Zuko flips through the first one before throwing them
all away; neither the current, nor the last Fire Lord ever had a
queen and he refuses to read over i applications /i for
his heart.

32. Eye

His vision is fading; healers do all
they can for it, but Zuko is not optimistic - he continues his
training as he always did, only now he does it blindfolded.

33. Never

Sokka returns on and off for various
reasons - he and the crown prince speak civilly, even enjoy the
other's presence - but while Sokka stays in the palace during his
visits, Zuko is not invited to the South and does not ever ask to be.

34. Sing

"Uncle, we are not on the ship
anymore and music nights--" "--will be just as much good
for the servants as they were for the sailors, Prince Zuko."

35. Sudden

Walking the halls of the palace, Zuko
is surprised to see two small children (sons of noblemen, no doubt)
racing toward him - but it is Iroh who is stunned later, when the
Commissioner's boys are seen tearing through the garden with the
crown prince laughing close behind.

36. Stop

"Just look at the girl, Zuko, what
could it h--" "Uncle, i please /i ."

37. Time

Sokka is back - "Jeez, you need a
haircut" - and Zuko is surprised - "And you're in dire need
of a shave - is that a porcugopher on your chin?" - they grin
and smirk and sometimes even laugh, but there is a wall there that
the Tribesman has constructed, and no amount of years in their
companionship will allow Zuko past it.

38. Wash

They are in the library: Sokka is
looking through scrolls on mechanics, Zuko is researching political
movements - he mentions, 'offhand,' that Sokka's family is as welcome
as he is in the Fire Nation and tries to hide his confusion when the
Tribesman's reaction is sad eyes and a quiet response of, "Maybe."

39. Torn

"Zuko, it was four years ago -
either write to the Waterbender yourself or please start paying
attention to the ladies here!"

40. History

He has never answered well to
challenges - the slightest insult could result in Agni Kai - so when
his uncle gives him the ultimatum, Zuko puts his pride over his
heart: sure, Iroh is stunned by his nephew's sudden decision, but now
he has a long boat ride to look forward to and weeks of worrying
before they reach the Southern Tribe.

41. Power

"Knock it off, Jee," Zuko
says and shares the lieutenant's smirk - at fourteen he could never
get the man to salute him, and at twenty he can't get him to stop.

42. Bother

The men confer - most of them were on
the prince's first ship and they regale the new sailors with their
stories; Music Night is organized without Zuko's permission and is
done down in the boiler room to avoid detection.

43. God

They are caught - "I do
have a vent in my room, just like the rest of you" - and the
sailors look up at the prince where he stands at the top of the
stairs, unsure; he is power and sternness, still in his armor with
his hands on his hips and scowling at them all - but when he cracks a
smirk and informs them the acoustics are far more favorable on deck,
some follow him upstairs with laughter - the others with prayers of
thanks for mercy granted.

44. Wall

Zuko is questioned once about the true
purpose of the mission - it is Jee who asks, of course, as the man
has become a close companion on the voyage, but he is not yet close
enough that the prince feels comfortable baring his heart and his
foolishness.

45. Naked

He feels awkward on the ship sometimes,
though it is only slightly bigger than the one he traveled in for
years - standing on the bridge and overlooking the water, Zuko
catches the reflection of the empty Pai Sho board behind him and
knows exactly what is missing.

46. Drive

"I think we've gone too far - it
didn't take nearly this long last time-- in fact, I'm certain we
should have started heading East an hour ago and we're still going
South, are you su--" "My prince, with all due respect,
please, let me do this."

47. Harm

Years ago, he drove his ship through
the wall of their village - today, Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation
leaves his transportation a mile from their settlement, approaching a
new wall of stone (not snow) with only himself and two guards.

48. Precious

There must be water in the stone, he
realizes, as a door opens seamlessly from the stone to reveal young
Waterbenders; Sokka is not here, but he recognizes the old woman that
approaches him, putting his hands together and bowing to
her - the real shock is when he straightens to find her
bowing back.

49. Hunger

The village is so much larger now, but
still small by the standards of his people, and children are
underfoot everywhere
(the future of a people nearly lost) - Kana offers him jerky and he
politely declines - he didn't come all this way for the seal.

50. Believe

She is as lovely as she ever was with
only small differences to mark the passage of time - more curves
beneath her parka, less naivete in her eyes, that complex braid
traded for a simple style, hair pulled back at the temples with
leather; he smiles and assumes that's why she looks so shocked,
ignoring the children jumping at her feet, or the one in her arms
that tugs on her hair.

(Bonus!) 51. Surprise

There is something all-together
satisfying about thoroughly shocking someone else - Zuko is
practically grinning as he looks at her, opening his mouth to tell
her one of the many lines rehearsed in the past weeks-- but Katara
wins when the child in her arms turns to look at him with wide gold
eyes, pointing at him with a mittened hand and proclaiming, "Daddy!"

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